Over on the WGSN Lifestyle team we work in advance, so we spend the winter months looking at lots of accessories, textiles and interiors displays that speak of sun-kissed times and outdoor gatherings. In line with this, we spent autumn 2015 diving into the S/S 16 presentations, as brands showcased their collections for this season. Now we’re in the heart of S/S16 and we’re seeing all that we predicted coming to fruition.

For S/S 16 colour is key, and recent preview presentations by three major colour players for the interiors market – Dulux, Crown Paint, and Graham & Brown confirmed what we forecasted. Here’s what you need to know:

First of all, all three brands were inspired by our Past Modern S/S 16 theme. As the trend team at Dulux put it, “you need to know about your past in order to design for your future” – a message that was at the heart of our Past Modern trend board and that will remain strong driving the following seasons as well.

In terms of colour, Past Modern was reflected in palettes that centred on soft, mid-tone shades and gave great importance to metallics. Dusty pink, rose gold, plaster beige, flint grey and above all ochre yellow recurred across all, with Dulux calling out Cherished Gold as their colour of the year. Indeed, ochre as well as rose gold are key metallics for the S/S 16.

When it came to the presentations:

Dulux’s four themes were beautifully displayed across the Somerset House. The first- Heritage & Future referred to the historical heritage of the brand, with a strong presence of reds in the palette.

The second- Word & Pictures reflected on how our times are visually saturated, and there is therefore a newfound power in words. Matte pastels were key, with lilac, faded blues, dusty pink and parchment yellow as well as inky blue and graphite.

The Grid & Letting Go theme played out as a very graphic story that paired acid green, vivid orange, turquoise and yellow with black and white clean, grid patterns for a very fresh palette.

Finally, Dark & Light, celebrated the beauty of dark, saturated tones with a palette of tinted blacks – browns, greens, bordeaux and blues in their deeper shades, embellished by glints of precious metallics.

While Crown Paint presented three main directions: Sun-Drenched City, Light & Shade and Shimmer, staged in the luminous rooms of 19 Greek Street Gallery. Sun-Drenched City looked at Memphis design tones of mustard, pastel pink, blue green used in very graphic and bold shapes, while darker greys, olive green, copper and black com as the contrasting touches.

Light & Shade revolved around earthy, natural tones of clay beiges, browns, tinted greys and off-whites for a very refined yet textural palette – a confirmation of our Eco Active theme, with a focus on natural and eco-conscious materials. While Shimmer, a yummy pastel palette of candy pink, mint green and baby yellow paired with transparent and iridescent surfaces, for an interesting play of hard and soft, matte and glossy surfaces that mirrored our Soft Pop S/S 16 direction.

And lastly at Graham & Brown, presented by stylist Paula Taylor at the Ham Yard Hotel – we saw five key trends translated into wallpaper, wall art, as well as their newly launched paint collections. All directions focused strongly on metallics and on natural inspiration – Chameleon, the first theme, looked at reptile skins and x-ray or double exposure imagery, revolving on the concept that things are not always what they seem. Coloured metallic and iridescent finishes to enliven bright pastel tones were key to it.

The Utopia theme perfect for spring and summer, centred on curated botanical and exotic foliage illustrations for a modern jungle mood, adding geo patterns for a playful pattern clash. Flamingo, poppy, teal and jewel tones as well as light backgrounds drove the palette.

Finally, Culture Vulture celebrated the variety of multicultural influences we have now access to, such as Moroccan fretwork in a vibrant range of peacock blue, terracotta, ink black and dusty pink embellished by rose gold and bronze for a haute couture reference.

And while we now start working on our colour confirmation across trade shows and retail, Lifestyle & Interiors subscribers can find plenty of inspiration in our colour forecasts for S/S 16 and A/W 16/17 on the website, and check out a beautiful report on the growing importance of darks in design and styling here.

LIFESTYLE, EXPLAINED: How we live today, how we’ll live tomorrow and why. WGSN’s team of lifestyle and interiors trend forecasters and analysts have all the answers. Sound good? Find out more here.